Coffee Days
by Pikadaj
Summary: Coffee is a good thing, at least it is for Jace. So what happens when Vesta and Seven find out that all the coffee is gone? With the clock ticking, will Vesta and Seven be able to get some coffee in time for Jace waking up? Or will they die trying?


**Title**: Coffee Days  
**Author**: Pikadaj  
**Summary**: Coffee is a good thing, at least it is for Jace. So what happens when Vesta and Seven find out that all the coffee is gone? With the clock ticking, will Vesta and Seven be able to get some coffee in time for Jace waking up? Or will they die trying?

* * *

"The coffee is gone."  
The sentence that is uttered by Vesta is so innocent, and yet it is enough to get Seven's eyes to snap open, rousing the boy from his previous slumber.  
"Wha?" Seven wonders if the words were a dream.  
"The coffee is gone." Vesta repeats.  
Apparently they weren't.  
"And Jace...?"  
"Still asleep, for now." Vesta reassures him.  
"What time is it?" Seven asks, literally rolling out of his bed, twisting his lower body weirdly to land on the floor with both feet.  
"9, so we still have about two hours before he should wake up."  
"Hmm..." Seven looks around the room he shares with Vesta. Since they are in the middle of a two-week mission that landed them in a quaint little cottage, they have to make do without the luxuries that building seven grants them. "I don't have any coffee?"  
Vesta sends him a flat look, "Of course you don't."  
"Hmm... Yeah, yeah..." Seven rubs his eyes. "So, uh... what do I need to do?"  
"Since you have the best stamina," Vesta takes out a bill of 10 and holds it out to the sleepy boy "you get to run to town to get some coffee."  
"Yeah, okay." Seven stifles a yawn before taking the bill from Vesta's hand and moving to leave the bedroom.  
"Oh, and Seven?"  
"Hm?"  
"Put on some pants."

* * *

"Coffee, coffee..." Seven mutters to himself as he moves through the aisles of the local supermarket. "Coffee is..." he looks at the empty coffee aisle. "Not... here. Shit."

* * *

Vesta drums her fingers onto her arm impatiently as her foot taps the floor. 'Seven should be back by now,' she thinks, her eyes on the clock which shows over half an hour has passed. 'So where is he...'  
As if on a cue, her phone rings. Without bothering to look at the display, she picks up. "What's keeping you?" she snaps.  
There is a pause, then a, "Pardon?"  
Vesta blanks a little. It's Kael. "Oh, it's you."  
"I do apologise if you expected another person to call you from my phone," Kael says in a dry tone.  
"Yeah, whatever." Vesta sighs. "What is it?"  
"Do you happen to have some time?"  
Vesta notices that Kael sounds a little nervous, though he seems to be trying to cover it up. "Not really," she says, leaning back against the counter "So, if there's anything you want to say...?"  
A slight pause comes, followed by a, "No, no. Not quite. I'll talk to you again when you three are back. Bye."  
Vesta blinks as the dial tone follows. "... Weirdo. Wonder what that was about?" she shakes her head with a sigh before looking at her phone. No missed calls, Seven didn't try to send a text message either. A little annoyed, Vesta narrows her eyes before dialling Seven's number.  
It takes a few seconds before Seven picks up with an out of breath, "H-Hello?"  
"What's taking you so long?"  
"I don't know why, but I can't find coffee anywhere?" Seven sounds a little panicked.  
"What do you mean, you can't find coffee anywhere?" Vesta asks incredulously. "Aren't there like, twenty brands in every super market?"  
"Twenty is a bit... anyway, the entire coffee aisle was empty?" Seven clears his throat "And so were those of the two other supermarkets?" Even he sounds unsure.  
Vesta stares at the wall in front of her without actually seeing it, "You're joking."  
"I'm not joking! I'm just as surprised as you are, honest!" Seven objects.  
Vesta pinches the bridge of her nose, "Are you seriously trying to tell me that someone went and made all the coffee disappear?"  
"It sounds like a really lame lie when you put it like that," Seven groans. "but it really is true!"  
Unlikely, but Vesta will just have to believe it. She doubts Seven will joke with Jace's prized coffee on the line. "It's a temporary solution, but just get a cup at a café."  
"Okay, that still gonna be good by the time Jace wakes up?" Seven asks.  
"We'll just wake him up when you get here, no problem." Vesta decides. "After that he can get some coffee himself."  
"Alright... I'll be off then!" Seven says before hanging up.  
Vesta bites her lip as she lowers the phone from her ear. 'Someone is playing a really, REALLY awkward prank...'

* * *

Seven is about ready to dance the Macarena (the only dance he knows properly) in the middle of the street when he finds a café that is still open. Most of the café's he tried have closed down for the day due to their coffee running out of stock. It's surprisingly quiet inside, but Seven doesn't let that deter him as he rushes inside, "One coffee please!" He calls, before letting out a startled sound as he nearly trips over a bag filled with... boxed coffee?  
"Wha...?" The entire floor is littered with bags that are filled with coffee. Looking up, he can see a sleek black tail move back and forth happily as Bastet is leaning against the counter.  
"So~"Bastet purrs at the startled woman behind the register, a grin on his lips as his cold, golden eyes are on her. "Like I said, I'll buy up all your coffee~" he easily takes out a cheque book.  
"Bu-but..." she looks unsure.  
"All of it."  
"Not so fast!" Getting over his shock, Seven jumps over all the bags. "You! You're the one buying up all the coffee!? Why!?"  
"Tsk," Bastet huffs a little before turning towards him "So you found out~? Well, nothing you can do about it now~" he grins a Cheshire grin. "The coffee is mine."  
"I'll buy a pack from you, any kind!" Seven says, taking out the bill of ten. "Here, I'll even pay extra! Please?" He is not above begging a demon when the other option is Jace without coffee.  
"Hmm..." Bastet taps his chin with a clawed finger, then grins. "No."  
"What!? Why not!? You're not really gonna drink all this yourself, right? Or are you planning to stay up for the next millennium or so!?"  
"Maybe, I guess you won't know, will you now~?" Bastet smirks. "If that oh, so, interesting handler of yours wants his coffee, he can come and get it himself~" he purrs out.  
Seven blanks, this guy actually knows about Jace's coffee addiction? And still bought all the coffee? Or did he buy it BECAUSE he knew about the coffee addiction...? "Uh... Did you, maybe, buy all the coffee to... mess with Jace?" he asks a little weakly.  
"Bingo~ Give the man a prize~" Bastet claps slowly. "I can't wait for him to wake up and find the coffee gone~"  
"He'll kill you! He'll definitely, definitely kill you!?"  
"Nothing better than a little murderous intent in the morning, is there now?" Bastet smirks.  
With a scowl, Seven puts the bill away again, taking out the hilt of his sword, "I can't let that happen. Especially since his murderous intent will get to ME long before it'll get you," the hilt glows red before his buster blade forms. "I will get a pack of coffee from you, one way or the other!"  
Bastet's eyes light up. "Oh~ Interesting, interesting~" he grins brightly. "How interesting you can be, sometimes~ Fine, we'll do this~ Try to get some~"  
"I won't TRY to get some... I WILL get some!" And with that, Seven charges at the demon.

* * *

Vesta bites her nail, her eyes on the kitchen clock. It's nearing 10:30 now, Jace can wake up any time. 'Seven, hurry up...'  
She hears a slight creaking of Jace's bed, the man no-doubt starting to wake up and trying to catch a few extra minutes of sleep by getting more comfortable.  
'... Damnit, Seven, get back here!?'

* * *

The cashier is cowering behind the register, peeking over the rim as she behinds the other-worldly fight that is going on. She can practically hear battle music in the background as the two clash.  
"Is that all you got~?" cackles the demon, dodging the swipe of the sword.  
"Like hell it is!" Seven pushes himself off of the counter, practically flying at Bastet who's eyes widen in pure joy.  
"That's more like it~" he purrs before placing a foot against Seven's shoulder, kicking the other back while at the same time flipping back. Nevertheless, the sword grazes him. With a pout he looks at the cut that appears on his shin. "I just got this body, be nice to- it?"  
He looks around, blinking. Seven is gone, one of the bags of coffee missing.  
"Tsk," he narrows his eyes a little before plopping down with a solid pout on his face.  
"Do you still want the coffee, sir?" the counter-girl asks timidly.  
"No." Bastet huffs. Next time, he will no longer underestimate Jace's charge, that's for sure. 'Little thief.'

* * *

"Quick!" Vesta opens the door just as Seven reaches it, water already boiling in the kitchen "You got it, right?"  
Seven nods, holding out a bag, "Here, it's all in here."  
"Perfect, great." Vesta nods before grabbing the box on top and quickly retreating to the kitchen to pour some coffee while Seven collapses onto the couch for some well-deserved rest.  
"Morning, loves~" Jace greets, as he walks down the stairs, voice a little croaky after waking up, bit his mood no less cheerful than usual the moment he smells coffee. "Strange to see you up so early, something happen?" he asks, tossing a glance at Seven.  
Seven musters up a grin, "Nope, nothing happened. Nothing at all."  
Jace eyes him a bit longer before shrugging and entering the kitchen, deciding that some things are just so much more important than grilling his charges, like his morning coffee.  
Seven and Vesta let out a sigh of relieve. All's well that ends well.  
"... This is caffeine-free coffee?"  
... Or not.  
Hell came down on earth that day.

* * *

**Slight Kaesta hint, but generally written without pairings~**

**... Jace without coffee, wayyyyy too much fun to write. Way.**


End file.
